Kate Bush facts: Wuthering Heights singer's career, husband, children and more revealed

27 December 2021, 23:06 | Updated: 21 July 2022, 15:24

Kate Bush is one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of all time, having come to prominence as a teenager in the late 1970s with her number one retelling of 'Wuthering Heights'.

Throughout the 1980s, Kate Bush cemented herself as a hugely talented musician, and a true one-off.

Here are all the big and important facts about the legendary star and what she's been up to lately.

1. Who is Kate Bush?

   Kate Bush is a British singer-songwriter, who became the first female artist to achieve a UK number one with a self-written song.

   She has released 25 UK Top 40 singles, such as the top 10 hits 'The Man with the Child in His Eyes', 'Babooshka', 'Running Up That Hill', 'Don't Give Up' (with Peter Gabriel) and 'King of the Mountain'.

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   She has also released 10 albums, including the UK number ones Never for Ever, Hounds of Love and the compilation The Whole Story.

   She started writing songs aged 11, and was signed to EMI after Pink Floyd's David Gilmour produced a demo tape for her.

   She took a hiatus between her albums The Red Shoes in 1993 and Aerial in 2005. She then returned in 2014 with her concert series Before the Dawn, which were her first shows since 1979.

   In 2013, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to music.

2. How old is Kate Bush and where is she from?

   Kate Bush was born on July 30, 1958. She celebrated her 63rd birthday in 2021.

   She was born in Bexleyheath, Kent, to an English doctor, general practitioner Robert Bush (1920–2008), and Hannah (1918–1992), née Daly, an Irish staff nurse.

   Kate grew up in a former farmhouse in the London suburb of East Wickham, Welling, with her older brothers, John and Paddy.

   Kate's mother was an amateur traditional Irish dancer, her father was an amateur pianist, Paddy was a musical instrument maker, and John was a poet and photographer.

3. What is Kate Bush doing now?

   Kate Bush turned down an invitation to perform at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony.

   In 2014, she announced her first live concerts in decades: Before the Dawn. The 22-night residency in London was staged at the Hammersmith Apollo, and received positive reviews.

   In October 2018, Bush announced two boxsets of remasters of her albums. She also released a lyrics book, How to Be Invisible.

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4. Who is Kate Bush's husband?

   Little is known about Kate Bush's marriage, as she prefers to keep a private life.

   She is thought to have married fellow musician Danny McIntosh back in 1992.

   • Who is Kate Bush's husband Danny McIntosh?

   Danny was a guitarist with the bands Bandit and The Quick, and also played guitar on albums by Dollar, Deniece Williams and Amii Stewart in the 1980s.

   In 1993, he played guitar on Kate's songs 'Rubberband Girl', 'The Red Shoes', 'Constellation Of The Heart', 'Top Of The City', 'The Song Of Solomon', and 'Lily'.

   McIntosh also played guitar on the songs 'An Architect's Dream', 'How To Be Invisible', 'King Of The Mountain', 'Nocturn', 'Pi', 'Sunset', '50 Words For Snow', 'Misty', 'Snowed In At Wheeler Street', 'Snowflake' and 'Wild Man'.

5. Who is Kate Bush's son Bertie?

   Kate Bush and husband Danny McIntosh welcomed their only child, Albert, in 1998. He is now aged 21.

   Also known as Bertie, her son is also a musician and featured prominently in the Before the Dawn concert series in 2014.

   In 2018, a re-release of her album Aerial saw Bertie replace Rolf Harris on vocals on a couple of tracks, including 'The Painter's Ink'.

   Bush also dedicated the song 'Bertie' to him, and has also credited him for encouraging her to play live again.